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US191 - Firehole Canyon Rd(sh

1.START-END NORTH:US191 crosses UP tracks, immediately south of jct with I80 2.jct with Little Firehole Canyon Rd 3.TOP, 7320ft, jct with Firehole Canyon Rd 4.profile turns right onto Little Firehole Canyon Rd 5.START-END SOUTH:local low point before road starts climbing to summit on Little Firehole Canyon Rd

Approaches

From South. US191 starts climbing right after crossing the I80 - UP railroad main artery of the traffic through the west. I wish all traffic arteries would be this laid back and picturesque as this road. But every couple of minutes a very long trail lumbers by. But as it turns out, the climb is not very steep and intermittent. I have ridden this little climb on several different occasions in different years. It took till this year to find out that you can actually see the Wind River Range to the north - only if the mountains are outlined with white snow and the athmosphere is clear enough. Once on the other side, not much later a thin line of Uinta snow appears ahead. The highest point is immediately before the signed junction with paved CR32 Firehole Canyon Rd. The inline pictures are of the paved US191 approach. The gravel section is the subject of the slide show.

From West.  (described downwards). This immaculately paved road leads to a pay campground on Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Needless to say the picturesque descent does not get much traffic on most days. These canyons can serve as approaches to multiple shallow summits. The pictures for the lower part of the paved road leading down to the Firehole Complex are included in the page of the next shoulder summit over, which shares this approach: US191 - Sage Creek Canyon Rd(sh). In order to demonstrate the dayride below, the profile turns off to the right onto unpaved Little Firehole Canyon Rd. So many Firehole Canyons - so little time to ride.

From South-2: (described downwards) The junction of US191 and Firehole Canyon Rd actually forms a very shallow high point, even when just when staying on US191. So that this is also the highest point when approaching via Bitter Springs Rd, which meets US191 a couple of miles north of the junction.

The Bitter Springs Rd is east of US191, and somewhat rougher than the gravel roads found on the west side. Bitter Springs Rd parallels US191. The latter is up on a shallow ridge. The Bitter Springs Rd, as the name suggests, is down amongst the cows and the sagebrush. The nicest part of the Bitter Springs option are the couple of miles, descending from US191 into the valley, It show off the fluted badland hills and Aspen Mountain behind them in their best light.

Slideshow Little Firehole Canyon Rd approach